Growing up is never easy
by Virgo girl 14
Summary: Growing up was never the easiest thing to do. Especially if you're the result of a mistake between two unknowing siblings. With a family like hers, Nico didn't think she stood a chance. Now she had Dylan in her life, and her mum was trying her best for her.
1. Chapter 1

"Yesterday you were glaring at that phone. Now you can't stop smiling. Are you going to tell me exactly who is putting a smile back on your face?" Sienna spoke, looking at her fifteen year old daughter with a knowing look. "And don't you dare say Peri because I'll know."

Nico looked up, her cheeks turning slightly pink at her mother's words. "Just... A friend." She shifted slightly in the arm chair she was curled up in, her eyes flickering back to her phone in her hand as another message came through.

"Well, if he's just a friend, tell me." Sienna smiled. "I'm not blind, Nico, only a boy can put that kind of smile on a girl's face." She added when she saw her look up, a little shocked. She crossed the small space between the kitchen area to where Nico was and she perched herself on the arm of the chair, her hand coming to rest on top of her head, playing with her hair.

Nico looked up at her. "It's...Dylan." she admitted after a few moments.

Sienna looked at her, her fingers stopping mid brush through Nico's hair. "The same one that upset you the other day?"

"Yeah. We..started talking again, he apologised for being an idiot and he got me this."Nico moved her hair to one side to show her the choker that she wore.

Sienna considered her words for a moment, and her eyes softened, a smile on her face. Her little girl was growing up, she could see that Nico had fallen for the boy completely. "Oh, Nico..."

"I really do like him, mum..."

"Oh, I know. I can see it, the way you've talked about him, the smile on your face when he talks to you. And from what I've seen with him, he likes you."

"So, you're not mad?"

"No, of course not. I know I don't always go the right way about things, but everything I do, it's for you. I love you so much, and I want you to be happy, with the right people in your life."

Nico knew she'd been hinting at Theresa, but for the moment, neither she nor Sienna were at each other's throats, and she decided to savor it. She smiled and leaned in toward her.

Sienna smiled and put her arm around her.

"I've been telling him he's got to make it up to me, and so far, he's promised that he will let me win at any video game I want-I do anyway and he's a sore loser."

Sienna laughed softly as Nico opened up the messages again.

"He's also promised that he will get me all the jelly babies and marshmellows I want, and he's promised that next time he's feeling angry, just to let me know, in our way, we haven't decided what that will be yet." Nico listed.

Sienna nodded. "Well, why don't you invite him round?"

"Really?"

"Really. You have to make a start on your winning streak don't you?"

Nico giggled and nodded. "Okay. I'll see what he says."

"Perfect." Sienna smiled and kissed her on her head and stood up and made her way to the kitchen again. _'I just hope he looks after her.'_ she thought. Nico had been through enough in her short life, and most of it was her fault. The lies she'd told, the schemes she'd come up with, Nico should never have been forced to take part in any of it. Her daughter needed some stability in her life, to act like any other teenage girl with her first crush or her first boyfriend. _'I will try to be better for you, Nico. I promise you, I'll be the best mum that you deserve.'_

After a few moments, Nico dropped her phone on the arm of the chair and stood, walking to the kitchen to get herself a drink. "He says he'll be over soon." She said, pouring some juice into a glass.

"Okay. Well I know when to leave you to it."

"You don't have to."

"I need to get something for dinner tonight anyway. I promise I won't be long." Sienna smiled.

Nico nodded. "Okay."

"Hey, come here." Sienna said and pulled Nico into a hug, lightly tickling her.

"No! Get off!" Nico laughed and struggled against her. "Stop!"

Sienna laughed with her, continuing her attack for a little while longer before letting her go.


	2. Chapter 2

Dylan walked down the stairs from his room.

"Where do you think you're going? You're still grounded remember."

Dylan looked up at Trevor's voice and shrugged. "Out. I've done what you wanted, and lesson learned." He said and walked out, ignoring the shouts of his name.

He walked across the village to the Blake's flat. He was about to press the buzzer when the door opened and Lindsey emerged, and silently slipped past her and walked up the stairs.

Nico looked up from the TV when she heard the knock on the door and stood up. She walked across the room to open the door, she smiled when she saw him.

"Hey." He smiled at her.

Nico stepped aside to let him in, and shut the door behind him once he was inside. "Mum's out, but she won't be too long."

"Will she be okay with me being here?" Dylan looked at her.

Nico nodded. "She's fine with it. She's still not happy with you, but she's gonna let it go." she smiled and walked back to the living room.

Dylan looked a little apprehensive, he may not have seen Sienna in action but he'd definitely heard a lot of it. Most of it from the girl in front of him.

"She'll be fine with it!" Nico insisted, seeing the look on his face. "I promise."

Dylan walked to sit next to her. "Fine. But if I get locked in a basement, I'm coming for you." He teased, smiling.

"Knowing my luck, she'd lock me in there with you." She laughed.

Half an hour later, Sienna arrived home, as she unlocked the door she could hear the two teenagers inside talking, or rather, arguing about the other losing to their game.

"I knew your pride wouldn't let you!" She heard Nico say, and a laugh as she opened the door.

"You cheat, that's the only explanation." Dylan huffed.

"Nothing to do with you actually sucking at this game then?"

"Nope!" He grinned at her.

"You two look like you're having fun." Sienna said, announcing her entrance.

Nico looked up as she heard Sienna and smiled.

"Don't look so worried. Nico explained." Sienna looked at Dylan. "But, hurt her again and next time I won't be so understanding."

Dylan nodded. "I won't, I would never hurt her, not again."

"That's good to know." Sienna smiled. "Now, you two carry on, and I'll just be in here sorting out dinner."

"And so she can keep an eye on us." Nico rolled her eyes.

"I'm your mother, I'm supposed to not trust him with my only little girl." Sienna teased.

"And all we're doing is playing games. You don't need to watch out for anything." Nico laughed.

"I'm staying, and that's the end of it."

Dylan watched the interaction between the two of them and smiled, and it made him realise that he was starting to miss his own mum and grandmother.

Nico nudged him with the games controller. "Your turn to start."

"You'll lose this time." He smirked, and started the game again.

"Bring it."

Sienna smiled, watching the two for a moment longer before she turned, making a start on dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

_'What did he mean? Am I not good enough for him? What did I do wrong?'_ Nico sat on the edge of her bed, unable to stop the questions in her head. She knew Dylan was bound to be irritated by being in the hospital following his accident. But that didn't stop her mind working overtime trying to find a logical reason for their latest argument. It was almost like he was trying to hide something from her, but exactly what, she didn't know.

"Nico!"

She looked up, hearing the voice, just as Patrick looked around the door.

"What are you still doing in here?"

"I... I wasn't feeling well." She shrugged.

"You don't look unwell."

"Cause it's stomach pains."

The comment was enough for Patrick to leave her be, closing the door behind him.

She sighed heavily, looking at her phone, looking through the pictures of her and Dylan, still unable to shake off the questions inside her head.

"Where's Nico?" Sienna asked as she walked into the flat.

"In her bedroom." Patrick spoke from the kitchen, making a start on dinner.

Sienna nodded, walking to the closed door and she knocked. "Nico? Sweetheart?"

"Go away!" Came the voice of the moody teenager inside.

Sienna shook her head, opening the door and she walked in, shutting the door behind her.

"I said go away!"

"And I didn't listen. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Nico turned away from her, hugging the pillow.

"Doesn't look like 'nothing' to me." Sienna looked, walking around the bed to her side and she knelt on the floor in front of her, forcing the girl to look at her. "Talk to me, Nico."

Nico ignored her.

"Nico please. Is it Dylan? Are you worried about him?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"We argued... Something stupid I don't even know..." Nico sighed.

"Then if it's only a little thing, and it must be if you don't remember what it was about, then you'll work through it. Together. Nico I have never seen you smile so much, I have never seen you light up the way you do around him."

Nico shrugged, not looking at her.

"It's only a little thing, Nico. Go and talk to him. I want my little girl smiling again." Sienna said and stood up.

Nico sighed and pushed herself up, casting the pillow aside as she did.

Sienna left the room. "She's fine. An argument with a friend. She's going to sort it now." She looked at Patrick as Nico followed after her.

"Don't be back too late." Patrick warned as the teenager grabbed her forgotten jacket from the chair and walked out.

Nico walked out of the flat and through the village to the hospital. She slowly made her way to where Dylan was, seeing Ben and Jason walk away from him. She peeked her head around the curtain.

Dylan looked at her and he gave her a small smile, pushing himself further up the bed. "Come here."

Nico walked over to her and Dylan took hold of her hand.

"I'm sorry I lashed out." He looked at her. "You didn't deserve any of it."

"Why did you freak out?" She looked at him, noticed something poking out of his bag that was on the chair. She walked over.

"No, don't-" he tried to reach for it, but Nico was too quick for him and pulled the red top out.

"Who's is this?" She looked. "There is someone else isn't there?"

"No!" He sighed.

"Just tell me the truth!"

"It's Grace's! Alright? I picked it up by accident before I came to meet you. It got mixed up in my washing." He looked at her. "I freaked out cause that was in my pocket and if you saw it, this would happen." He sighed, hoping she would believe him. He watched for her reaction, breathing a small sigh of relief when he saw her visibly relax, her defensive stance dissolving.

"So there really is no one else?" She said in a quieter voice.

He took her hand and pulled her to the edge of the bed so he could look at her. "There is no one else. You're my girlfriend. Why would I want anyone else when I've got you?"

She smiled. "Girlfriend?"

He nodded. "Yeah. If you still want to be." He smiled at her.


	4. Chapter 4

"Why would I hate you, idiot."

Dylan smiled, looking up at Nico. He didn't know really why he thought she would be disgusted in him. "I dunno."

"You should have just told me." Nico looked at him, smiling.

"I know." he sighed. "But how the hell do you approach something like that? How do you tell your girlfriend you like to wear women's clothes?"

"Just like that." she raised an eyebrow. "You were the one who made me look at things differently. If anyone's weird here it's me. Where I come from is proof of that. It doesn't matter to me what you do, what you wear. You taught me that being different isn't such a bad thing."

He nodded, listening to her. "Yeah. Sorry about the whole... saying I fancy your mum thing."

Nico nodded, then quickly stood up. "I have to go see her."

He looked at her, confused.

"We argued... I thought..-" She cut herself off and ran down the stairs to the hospital.

Dylan sighed, watching her go.

"Mum!" Nico rushed over to her. "Mum I'm sorry..."

"Sweetheart, it's ok. I'm ok. I promise." Sienna smiled, holding her hand.

"No... No it's not... I shouldn't have done that... Me and Dylan argued, I got mad and..."

Sienna gently brushed her fingers through her daughter's hair. "It's done. As long as you promise not to do anything like that again."

Nico nodded, and hugged her mum.

"Nico Blake?"

The young girl looked up. "Mum... What's a social worker doing here...?"

"I'm sorry sweetheart. It's for your own good." Sienna spoke, though her heart was breaking.

Nico looked at her. "Mum please... I'll be better I promise!" She knew she was about to cry.

"Sweetheart look at what I'm doing to you. You were sweet, before I came into your life, you were nothing like this. Look at what I've turned you into." Sienna couldn't look at her, she couldn't see the heartbreak and rejection written all over her baby's face.

The social worker started to pull Nico away.

"Mum please!" Nico begged as she was pulled out of the hospital.

Sienna pulled her knees to her chest and she broke down, Charles S'Avage put his arm around her to comfort her. "You've done the right thing." he told her.

Nico sat in the back of the car, her head down. She didn't want anyone to see her cry.

Dylan saw a car driving away, and he looked confused. Why was Nico being taken away?

Nico ignored her phone as it rang. She knew it would only be Dylan, and she didn't want him to know she was upset. She had been rejected, given away for the second time by her mother.


	5. Chapter 5

Nico had been ignoring her friends attempts to get in touch with her, had been pushing them and her loved ones away. In her mind, she was damaged, and would only bring them down with her if she stayed close.

' _Why would they want a freak like me in their lives? Will was right, I'm just as mad as mum...'_ She thought.

"Are you gonna answer that or switch it off?"

Nico looked up at the voice, seeing the older woman standing over her. She rolled her eyes and picked up her phone, seeing a message from Dylan asking if he can see her. She typed back, 'No.' and put it back down. "Done." she spoke as another message came through and she sighed, picking it back up. 'Not taking no for an answer. I'll be in the Bean in an hour x'

"Whoever he is, he's as stubborn as you."

Nico smiled a little and stood up. "Yeah tell me about it." she sighed and walked out of the house, getting on to the bus back to the village.

She stepped off after the journey and she made her way toward the Bean. She looked as she saw Dylan, hiding her smile.

Dylan saw her and, using his crutches, walked toward her. "Hey." he smiled. "I got our drinks already."

Nico nodded in acknowledgement and she walked inside with him. "Must be bad if they're letting you have time off school..."

"Looks worse than it is." Dylan spoke as their drinks were brought over, he sat down opposite her. "I'll be off the crutches in a couple of weeks." He looked as an awkward silence passed between them. "You do still care about me then?"

Nico avoided looking at him.

"So what's the foster family like?"He asked, deciding to change the subject, hoping to dispel the awkward silences.

"Well... the mum's always popping pain killers... and I have to sleep in a bunk bed.."

Dylan laughed a little.

"It's not funny!" Nico spoke, though she was also smiling.

' _To hell with it... If she rejects me now I know I've blown it.'_ he thought and reached over for her hand. "I've missed you. And I'm really sorry for all the trouble I caused."

Nico looked at their hands for a second, and looked at him. "I thought I meant something to you."

"What makes you think you don't?" He looked at her.

"You lied about why you took my mum's top. Why would you keep that from me?"

He looked down.

"Why would you treat me like I'm nobody special?"

Keeping his tone low so only she could hear him, he spoke; "How do you tell your girlfriend that you like dressing up in women's clothes?" He looked at her. "I thought you'd think I was a freak."

"Why d'you think I liked you in the first place?" She looked at him, her smile long gone. "You told me to be proud I was weird and different. That's what we were all about. And I told you all this last time. But now? I guess it was all talk." She stood up to leave.

' _Now or never.'_ Dylan stood up, turning to face her. "Okay." he spoke, adding in a louder tone; "I'm a freak! And I'm proud." he smirked, looking at her. "Sucks being the only one though."

Nico looked around, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"Come home." He held out his hand to her. "For me?"

Nico took it and stepped closer to him. "As long as you come to me first next time you wanna borrow a dress." She smirked, hugging him as Grace walked toward them.

"You wanna borrow her dress?"

Nico looked, knowing he didn't want others to know. "It's a fancy dress party. We're going as each other."

Dylan looked at her as Grace left. "You gonna sort everything with your mum, yeah?"

Nico sighed, looking at him. "But she left me."

"She wouldn't have meant it. Come on... Beats sleeping in a bunk bed forever."

"She made me out to be a liar!"

"And I know you miss her. It's written all over your face." Dylan looked at her. "Just talk to her. Find out why."

After a few moments' silence, Nico nodded. "Let's go... I'm gonna go grab my stuff and come back."

A/N: I know Dylan repeats himself slightly from the last chapter... but he's insecure and doesn't quite get why she's still there when anyone else would have ran. ANYWAY, hope that was okay :-*


End file.
